Kelly brought down her window. “What’s happened?”
“Sorry, it’s a police investigation.”
Medics emerged from the building carrying a stretcher with a body bag. They quickly loaded it into the ambulance while a police officer comforted a distraught secretary.
“I’ll give you one guess who’s in that body bag,” Zach said. “Shit!”
11
Hanna Cross was waiting outside Dr. Chapman’s office as he entered the building juggling his morning coffee, a cell phone and a brown briefcase. He set the briefcase down, adjusted his eyeglasses and gave a nod as he reached into his pocket for keys.
“Nurse Cross. Morning. Can I help you?”
“It’s about last night. I need to talk to you.”
He opened the door and gestured for her to enter. Once inside, he set his coffee down, slid his briefcase onto the table and took a seat. He took off his glasses and breathed on the glass before rubbing them with tissue. “Go ahead.”
Still standing, she set the baton on the table. “Jenkins was carrying this when he assaulted Mr. Winchester.”
His brows rose. “That’s quite the accusation. You have proof? Witnesses?”
“Winchester told me.”
“Ah,” he said taking the baton and leaning back in his seat. “Nurse Cross. You’re aware this is a forensic hospital, yes?” He didn’t wait for her to reply. “Patients are mentally disturbed. In fact, Winchester was placed here because he was deemed insane. And yet you believe him?”
“I do.”
“Have you asked Jenkins about this?”
“He denied it. He said they found it on him, got into a scuffle and he got the better of them.”
“So he attacked our staff and then blamed it on them?”
“It was self-defense.”
“Was it? Did you witness the attack?”
“No.”
“So then you can’t be sure. Can you?”
“Well no but…”
He set the baton on the table. “Nurse Cross. Winchester was just returned from Adirondack Medical Center where he assaulted two security guards and used one of their batons. Is it possible that he somehow managed to hide that baton and our staff overlooked it?”
She reached for it and extended the baton with one sharp jerk of the hand. “I hardly think he managed to hide twenty-one inches.”
Chapman opened his hand and she gave it back. He slammed the tip of it against the floor to get it to go back in, at which point it was no longer than six and a half inches. “Twenty-one inches. I agree. Roughly six inches? I’ve seen patients insert bigger things in their anus.”
Her eyes widened, and she went slightly red in the cheeks. Chapman set it back down. “You are still on a three-month probation, isn’t that right, Nurse Cross?”
Oh she could see where he was going with this. Asshole.
“That’s correct.”
“Then you should be careful about the accusations you make. I like you. I really do. I think you could be a valuable asset to this hospital but we need to know you are part of the team. That means supporting your coworkers, not throwing accusations against them.”
“He said Jenkins was the one who strapped him down to the bed in the ECT room.”
“I expect he did,” Chapman said, confident that no matter what she said he was going to win this argument. He sighed and took a sip of his coffee.
She continued, “It’s not right. I didn’t take this position to see patients abused.”
He chuckled. “Work here long enough, and get a few lickings, and you will change your view.”
“Excuse me?” Was he condoning violence against patients?
He leaned forward clasping his hands together. “What I’m saying is that every new hire who comes through those doors thinks they are going to change this place. That they will be the one to turn the tide, put things right, and help these sick individuals. They don’t. This place changes you. The only decision is how do you wish to be changed? Will you be a burnout? Will you quit? Will you fight against the system? Or will you soldier on and do what is required of you?”
“Are you asking me to look the other way?”
He gave a wry smile. “I’m not asking you to do anything more than what your job requires, Nurse Cross. But please understand one thing. I enjoy my coffee in the morning. I like to be undisturbed for at least the first hour of my day. I don’t appreciate having people waste that time by coming in here and making unsubstantiated accusations against other staff members especially when they didn’t see what happened. So. Leave this with me. I will speak with Jenkins and Porter and…”
“I never said Porter was the other psych tech.”
“Didn’t you?”
“No.” She frowned.
“Well it’s obvious. They are like two peas in a pod. Anyway, as I was saying. I will speak to them and smooth things out. Hopefully they won’t file a grievance against you.”
“Against me?”
“Well, I don’t see Winchester in here complaining. Do you?”
She stood there dumbfounded. She couldn’t believe it.
“You can go now.”
As she walked out of the door, he spoke again. “Oh Nurse Cross,” he said in his most condescending tone. “Close the door behind you. It’s a little chilly.” She pursed her lips and restrained herself from slamming it. She was furious. There was a lot about this place that didn’t sit right and it was hard to explain it away, and yet Dr. Chapman seemed to always turn it around and make it look as if she was going mad, and not thinking clearly. She wasn’t sure what his angle was but she intended to find out. First things first, she had Seth go with her into the seclusion room to release Mr. Winchester from his restraints. He’d spent the entire night drugged up and held down but by the time she entered the small room, he was alert and staring up at the ceiling.
“Being released so soon? I would have thought you folks would want to turn the knife a little.”
As she pulled on the leather straps that looked like belts and released his legs, she replied. “Not all of us find
